Dusting apparatus for aircraft



June 12, 1928.

A. L. MORSE DUSTING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Sept. 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 InvenTor. Alan L. Morse yiwz M1 mam A1 Iya A. 1.. MORSE.

DUSTING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT June 12, 1928.

Filed S ept. 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2

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. Invenror. Alan L. Morse byflwwk [Ill- Afr Tys.

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Patented June 12, 1928 UNITED s'raras PATENT or fice.

ALAN L. MORSE, 01' EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO.

DUBTING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT.

1 Application filed September 14, 1828. Serial No. 135,800.

This invention relates to improvementsin dusting apparatus for air craft and the principal' object thereof is to provide novel means for agitating the material in the dustcontaining hopper by gases underpressure delivered from the motor.

'A further object of the invention is to provide means for filtering the gases whlch are delivered from the motor to the hopper.

A. furtherobject of the invention is to provide means for introducing air under pressure into the hopper upon the material contained therein to aid in the discharge-of the material from the hopper which hereto-- fore has been mainly produced by the suction of the current of air passing through the distributor with which the outlet of the hopper communicates. v

A further object of the invention is to provide novel mechanism for facilitating the filling of the hopper from usual dust-containing cartons or cans.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction by means of which the hopper can be readily installed within. and removed from, the usual front cockpit of an aeroplane.

Other objects and featuresof the invention will more fully appear from the fol lowing description and the accompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodimentof the invention is illustrated herein as applied to an aeroplaneof the usual type having front and rear cockpits, but it will. be understood that the invention in its broad sense maybe employed in any form of air craft hav1ngdustscattering mechanism to which it may be adapted. I

The invention as illustrated herein comprises certain improvements upon the dusting niechanismdisclosed in my prior appli- 'cationNo. 25.721 filed April 24, 1925 for powder distributing apparatus, and is adapted to be used either in conjunction with'the distributing mechanism thereindisclosed. or usual types of distributing mechanism in which the material is scattered by a suitably directed stream of air beneath the fuselage, body or wings of the air craft.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an aeroplane with the'dusting apparatus embodying the present invention installedtherein; Fig. 2 is a central vertical sect1on of a front-cockpit 5 in which the hopper of the 7 Fig. 4 is a ront elevation of the funnel I shown in Fig.3;

Fig. dis a view, mainly in vertical section, of a device for purifying the gases delivered from the motor into the material in the hopper; f I

Fig. 6 is a sectional View of the hopper on line 66 Fig. 2, viewed from the top;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional View of a portion of one of the motor cylinders showing a chambered spark plug with a ortion of the conduit leading therefrom to t e hopper. Fi 8 is a detail sectional view showing the lling device for the hopper.

Fig. 9 is alongit'udinal sectional view of a shut-off cock adapted to be interposed intermediate of the pipes leading from the engine cylinders and a conduit to the hopper operable to establish or shut ofi' communication therebetween.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated herein as applied to an aeroplane of the usual type having a body or fuselage 1, and provided with a motor of the conventional V type, theleft hand bank 2 of the cylinders ofwhich is illustrated. The propeller 3, which is driven by the motor, is"located at the front end of the body. The fuselage has the usual cockpit 4' for the pilot and also is provided with a dusting-apparatus is located. 'A suitable distributor 6, preferably is detachably secured below the fuselage 1 and lower wing 7 and maybe provided with a restricted throat portion and a rearwardly elongated discharge exit so constructed as to provide a venturi action as disclosed in my prior application aforesaid. I I

The hopper 8 is of general rectangular form in horizontal cross section andof such dimensions as properly to fit within the front cockpit of the aeroplane. It preferably is provided with a downwardly sloping bottom 9 having at its lower end an outlet 10 provided with a suitable valve for controlling the discharge of the dusting material. In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated, (see Fig. 2), the valve is in the form of a flat plate 11 which is slidably mounted upon suitable guides 12 of angle iron which are secured to a sheet metal valve casing 13 which is (letachably connected by screws or bolts 14 to the bottom of the hopper. In the construction shown the lower end of the front wall 15. is bent forwardly into' the planeof the bottom of the hopper and certain of the screws duced which will permit the removal of the hopper, but will prevent the escape of .dust

casings of any or all of the cylinders of one or both banks of the motor. desirably, is formed in sections which are connected together by a detachable coupling 27 adapted to be easily released whenit is desired to remove the hopper from the aeroplane. Desirably a shut-o'tt cock 26 such as that illustrated in Fig. 9 is interposed be- .tween the pipes 24 and the conduit 25. This in its'passage from the hopper to the dis-- tributor.

In the device disclosed in my prior application above mentioned, means are provided for agitating the material in the 'hopper comprising a mechanical agitator and a com.- pressor both of which are actuated by a'fan troduced into the material at the bottom. of the hopper through a series of pipes.

One of the 'principalfeatures of the present invention relates to a simplified mechanism for agitating the material in the hopper. This is accomplished in the-present invention by introducing gases under pressurehopper Any suitable means may be provided or accomplishing this purpose. In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated herein one or more. but preferably from the motor into the material in the each. of the cylinders 20 of the motor isprovi ded with a spark plug 21 having a chamber 22 communicating with the cylinder.

' This chamber is formed between the metallic spark plug casing and the inner end portion of the porcelain member 23 of the spark plug. A nipple having a screw-threaded connection with the wall of the metallic casing of the sparkplug communicates with the chamber 22 thereof and with a pipe 24 which leads to a conduit 25. Theconduit 25 extends to the distributing hopper where it communicates with a header for a series of delivery. pipes which are located in the bottom of the hopper so that the hot gases from the engine project upwardly through the material in the hopper and serve both to agitate the material andto fiufl it up. A check valve'which. as. shown. is in the form of a ball check in the nipple permits the gases from the cylinder to pass into the pipe 24. but prevents the return of gases or air. into the cylinder during the suction stroke of the piston. with pipes 24 connected to the spark plug motor, the air from the compressor being in- I The conduit 25 may communicate shut-oft cock 26 is of the pipes 24 being connected ports in one side of the casing, while the conduit 25 communicates with a single larger port in the opposite side of the casing. The plug valve is hollow and is of conical form and provi-dedwith ports arranged to comglug valve type,

municate with the ports of the pipes 24 and also with the port of the conduit 25. The plug valve is held. firmly in place by a spring lnterposedbetween the shoulder end of the plug and a cap on the end of the casing].

The plug has a stem which passes throng the. cap and is engaged by a suitable operat-- ing handle. The ports in the plug valve may be of different length in the direction [he conduit 25 y nipples with of the circumference of the valve so that the valve may be rotated different distances to cut into operation any desired, number of cylinders, and the valve, if rotated suflicient-, ly, may be caused to cut otfcommunication of all the cylinders with the conduit.

In the simpler construction illustrated in Fig. 1, all ofthe pipes 24 communicate with theiconduit 25. Desirably means are provided for purifying the gases which pass from the engine cylinder into the materialof the hopper to prevent the transmission of dust,

oil, or other foreign matter into the materail in the hopper. A preferred form of air purifying device, which is llustrated herein, comprises afilter 28 having a closed casing 29 containing a suitable filtering material 30. preferably of a fibrous nature, such as steel wooL'orcotton waste. The section of the conduit 25. which leads from the cylinder,'extends through the top of the filter casing, preferably nearly to the bottom of the filteringmaterial. The section of the conduit 25, leading from'thefilter, projects into the casing near the upper end thereof.

and desirably is provided with a wire screen 31 to prevent the filtering material from blowing through. The conduit 25 communicates with a pipe 32 leading to a header 33 having branches 34 which, as shown herein. extend longitudinally of and in 'close proximity to the inclined bottom of the hopper.

names? 64 to be blown out if any material should accumulate therein.

The conduit 25,'or the coupling thereof leading to the pipe 33 of the header, is provided with a suitable valve 36 having an arm 37 detachably connected to a link 38 which in turn is connected to a lever 39 which controls" the valve 11 for the outlet of the hopper so that the valve in the conduit will be opened and closed simultaneously with .invention disclosed herein relates primarily to the utilizationof gases delivered under pressure from the motor into the hopper of a dusting apparatus for the purpose of agitating the'material in the hopper and fiufling ilb ' it up, it will be obvious that these gases may be used for other purposes, such, for example, as to propel a suitable motor or for any other suitable uses which may employ gases under pressure.

The mechanism for controlling the outlet valve of the hopper comprises a link, or as illustratedherein two, links 40, which are pivotally connected at their lower ends to lugs 41 extending upwardly from the outlet valve 11 and which are pivotally con nected at their upper ends to'arms 42 of a rock shaft 43 which is journalled in suitable hearings 44 and 45in the side. walls of the hopper. One end of the rock shaft 43 is provided with an arm 46 which is detachably connected to a link 47, the other end of which is detachably connected to the lever 39. The shaft 43 of the hopper desirably is-located above the wall of the front cockpit when the hopper is in position so that the hopper may be readily removed when the links 38'arid 47 are detached from 'the operating lever 39 31nd ghe coupling 27 of the conduit 25 reease Any suitable means may, of-course, be em ployed detachably to secure the hopper in the cockpit. By virtue, however, of the construction above described there are no permanent connections between the hopper and the fuselage which render the hopper difficult of removal; A further feature of the invention consists in providing means for introducing air under pressure into the hopper on top of the powder to aid'in discharging the material therefrom. This is accomplished in the present invention by providing the hopper with a closed top having an air funnel extending therefrom presenting a bell-shaped mouth toward the front so that the pressure of the air entering the. hopper through the funnel. when the air'crattis in flight, will act upon the'material in the hop er. In the preferred construction illustrate in the accompanying drawings, an air funnel 48,

Fig. 4 and having a bell mouth 49, ismountpreferably of rectangular cross section as illustrated in 'ed upon a cover plate 50 having a downwardly extending flange 51 which closely surrounds a flange 52 of an angle iron member 53 which extends peripherally about an aperture 54 in the hopper cover 55.. The, cover plate 50 may also'be provided with an angle iron member 56' adapted to seat within the inner face of the flange 52.with a suitable felt packing to provide a tight joint construction, but one which maybe readily v disengaged. v

Any suitable means may be provided for detachably securing the cover plate to the top of the hopper. A convenient construction which illustrated herein comprises two or more-posts 57 mounted upon the angle iron member which surrounds the aperture 54 at the top, with pivotally mounted arms 58 extending therefrom over the cover plate, with set screws 59 in the ends of said arms adapted to engage said plate. The air funnel desirably is provided with a check valve which, as shown herein, is in the form of a flap valve 60 supported by a hinge 61 at its top, the purpose of this valve belng to permit the entry of air into the hopper through the air funnel, but to prevent air and dust from passing from the hopper through the funnel.

A further feature of the invention consists in providing a novel mechanism through which the dusting material may be introduced into the hopper without substantial.

loss of the dusting material.

The usual dusting material is packed in cartons or cans and considerable of the dust is carried away by air current when the car'- tons or cans are emptied into-the hopper. The means for substantially preventing such loss illustrated: herein comprises a filling plate 62 which is supports upon the top wall of the hopper which defines the wall of the aperture therethrough and which extends 'a. short distance within the surrounding angleiron'wall 51. The filling plate 62 is provided with a central downwardly extending funnel 63, the aperture 64 of which is of less-diameter and smaller area than'that of the carton or can in which the dusting material is packaged so that when theend of the carton or can is opened the can may be quickly inverted and permitted to rest in inverted position upon the inclined wall 63 of thefunnel, while the material drops into the hopper. The engagement of the open end of'the carton or can with the funnel wall will form a seal which will sub! stntially prevent the dust from being scattered by airrurrerits.

The filling plate 62 may be so constructed as tobe removable, or may be permitted to remain permanently in position. When the hopper is to he filled the cover plate with its funnel is first removed, after which the cartons-or cans can be inverted and dumped into the hopper in the manner above described.

It will bev understood that the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herethan that particularly illustratedhere-inin is of an illustrative character and not restrictive and that the invention adapted to be applied to other forms of aircraft It. is also understood that various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is' claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent,- is:

1. Dusting apparatus for air craft provided with a driving motor having-a cylinder and a piston reciprocable therein, comprising a hopper for the dusting vmaterial provided with an outlet. means for scattering the material delivered from said outlet, .means for deliverlng gases under pressure from said cylinder into the material in said hopper to agitate said material, means for opening and closing the outlet of said hopper and means operably connected therewith for admitting and preventing the delivery of gases from said cylinder to said hopper. v

2. Dusting apparatus for air craft provided with a driving motorhaving a cylincomprising a hopper for the dusting mate rial provided with an outlet, means for'scattering the material delivered from said outlet, a conduit leading from the cylinders of said motor to saidvhopper, a plurality of distributing pipes located within said hopper communicating with said conduit,'means for detachably connecting-said conduit to said motor 'and means for detachably securing said hopper to said air craft wherebythe hopper can be readily removed.

6. Dusting apparatus for air craftproyided with an internal combustion engine .comprising a hopper for the dusting mateder, a piston reciprocable therein and inlet and exhaust conduits. comprising a hopper for the dusting material provided with an outlet, means for scattering the material de- J liver-ed from said outlet. a separate conduit communicating with said cylinder operable to deliver gases under pressure -from' said cylinder into the material in said hopper to agitate said material.

3. Dusting apparatus for air. craft having a driving motor, comprising-a hopper for the dusting material having an outlet,'means for scattering the material delivered from said outlet, 'means for'delivering gases under pressure from said motor Into thematerial in said'hopper including distributing pipes for said gases located within said hopper.

4. Dusting apparatus for air craft provided with an internal combustionengine, comprising a. hopper for the dusting material provided with an outlet, means for scattering the material delivered from said outlet, a conduit leading from the cylinders of said motorto said hopper and a' plurality of distributing v pipes located within said hopper communicating with said conduit.

5. Dusting apparatus for air craftprovided with an internal combustion engine rial provided with an outlet, means. for scattering the material delivered from sald outlet, a conduit leading from the cylinders of said motor to said hopper, a, plurality of means for purifying the gases delivered from said cylinder to said hopper including a,

filter containing a fibrous material 'interposed between sections of said conduit, the

section of the conduit leading from the filter to. the hopper'having a screen extending into the upper portion of the filter and the section'leading from the motor to the filter extending into the material of the filter in proximity to the bottom thereof.

8. Dusting apparatus for air craft comi prising an internal combustion engine having a chambered spark plug communicating with the cylinder of the engine,.comprising a hopper .for the dusting material, means for scattering the material delivered 'from' said hopper, a conduit communicating with the chamber of the park plug leading to said hopper to del yer gases from said-cylinder into the material in said hopper and a check valve 'in'said conduit acting to prevent the return oflgases from the con- .duit into the cylinder..

9. Dusting apparatus for air craft comprising a hopper having an outlet provided' with a valve and a top having a -filling opening; a downwardly extendingfunncl within said filling opening having an aperture of smaller area than the area of the open end of a dust-containingcarton, whereby an open carton may be quickly inverted and placed upon the inclined wall of said funnel and loss of dust by air currents substantially prevented.

10. Dusting apparatus for air craft com-,

prising a hopper having an outlet provided l with a valve and a top having a filling opening provided with a surrounding wall, a downwardly extending funnel within said filling opening "having an aperture of smaller area than the open end of a dustcontaining carton, whereby an open'carton may be quickly inverted and placed on the inc ined wall of said tunnel and loss of the dust by air currents substantially prev nted. a cover fittin upon said surrounding wall I5 and means or detachably clamping said cover thereupon.

11. Dusting apparatus for air craft comprising a hopper having an outlet provided with a valve and a top having a filling opening provided with a surrounding wall, a downwardly extending funnel within said filling opening having an aperture of small-v er area than the open end of a dust-contain-- of said hopper and presenting a wall vclosely fitting the peripheral wall of said distributing means, a valve for. said hopper outlet slidably mounted upon said outlet casing, a

link within said hopper connected to said valve, :1 rock shaft mounted in the walls of 'said hopper having an arm connected to said link and an external arm and means for detachably connecting the external arm of said rock shaft to an actuating lever.

13. Dusting apparatus for aeroplanes having dust-distributing means provided with anupwardly extending peripheral wall comrising a hopper having an outlet, an outet casing detachably secured to the bottom of said hopperand presenting a wall closely fittingthe peripheral wall of said distributing means, a valve for said hopper outlet slidably mounted upon said outlet casing, a link within said hopper connected to said valve, a'rock shaft mounted in the walls of saidhopper having an armconected to said link and an external arm, means for detach--' ing said valve to said lever operable to open and close the valve in the conduit concurrently withthe opening and closing of the hopper valve. Y

14. Dusting apparatus for aeroplanes hav ing dust-distributing means provided with an upwardly extending peripheral wall comprising a hopper having an outlet, an outlet casing detach'ably secured to the bottom of 7 said hopper and presenting a wallicloselyf fitting the peripheral wall of said. distribute ing means, a valve for said hopper outlet slid-ably mounted upon said outletcasing, a. link within said hopper connected to .said valve, a rock shaft-mounted in the walls of said hopper having an arm connected to said link and an external arm, means for detachably connecting the external arm of saidro'ck shaft to an actuating lever, a conduit leading from the cylinders of the aeroplane engine into the material in'the hopper, a

valve in said conduit, means detachably connecting said valve to said lever operable to open and close the valve in the conduit concurrently with the opening and closing of the hopper valve and a detachable-union in said conduit whereby thei hopper may be readily removed from the cockpit by detaching said union and b detaching the connections leading from t econduit and hopper valves to the actuatinglever.

15. A dusting apparatus 'for air craft comprising an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, a hopper for the dusting material and means for scatter- ,ing the material delivered from said hopper, pipes communicating respectively with the combustion chambers of said cylinders, a

.conduit leading from said pipes into said hopper to deliver gases from said cylinder into said hopper to agitate and find up the material therein, and a multiple inlet and single outlet shut-otfcock intermediate of said pipes and said conduit.

16. In a machine as described an internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, 3 piston reciprocable therein, and inlet and exhaust conduits, a separate conduit'communieating with the explosion chamber ofthe engine adapted to receive a portion of the gases delivered by pressure produced within the cylinder and means connected with said separate conduit for utilizing the power of said gases under presure.

17. In a machine as described, an internal combustion engine comprisinga cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, and inlet and exhaust conduits, a separate conduit communieating with the explosion chamber of the -material in said hopper;

18. In a machine as described, comprising.

an internal combustion engine having a plu-' ralit; of cylinders, andinlet and exhaust mamfolds, separate pipes communicating respectively with the combustion chambers of said cylinders; a conduit communicating with said pipes, and a multiple inlet and single outlet shut-off cock intermediate of said pipes and conduit having means selectively operable to establish communication between one or moreq'of said pi es and said conduit.

19. Ina machine as escribed, comprising an internalcombustion engine having a plu rality of cylinders,"and inlet and exhaust manifolds, separate pipes communicating re- 

